Indian cricket gets ready for major revamp under threat of contempt of court

In a major win for the Lodha panel, led by retired Chief Justice RM Lodha, the Supreme Court on Monday had given a go ahead for most of the changes suggested by the committee to the BCCI. The Supreme Court had accepted all but one of the Lodha panel recommendations and the BCCI will have 6 months to implement these changes constitutionally in their organization.

Issuing a further warning to the BCCI and state bodies to fall in line, Secretary of the Lodha Committee, Gopal Sankaranarayanan said they would stand to face the wrath of the SC otherwise.

"If either the BCCI or the state associations choose to take steps now which are inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the committee's bylaws which have been approved by the court, then they will be guilty of contempt of court," Sankaranarayanan told ESPNcricinfo.

"The duty cast upon the Lodha Committee, the BCCI as well as all the state associations has commenced yesterday with the judgement."

The verdict appears to have been anticipated by the BCCI despite its attempts to roadblock the Lodha recommendations. The BCCI had pointed to potential suspension by the ICC citing government intervention, while state associations had responded to Lodha panel recommendations with multiple objections, all of which were swept aside by the Supreme Court.

A BCCI official said, "Nothing unexpected, nothing unusual. This was on the cards only.

"There is nothing to debate on it. You simply have to just adopt it. That's what Supreme Court has asked us to do.

"There is no scope for analysis. What are we going to gain [by reviewing the order]? The Lodha Committee has done everything, so we just have to put in place what it has laid down," reported cricinfo.

The BCCI official, however, also warned of things to come when he described how the office-bearers who have tasted power so far would not give it up so easily. "You can't be an office bearer, but there is nothing that stops you from being a committee member," he said. "They will install their trusted allies in their place. The incumbent office bearer can sit in the committee and oversee everything."

For example, former BCCI president and ICC Chairman N Srinivasan, who has remained Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) president for 14 years, looks to continue in the TNCA, albeit in a different role, it is learnt. "We discussed the situation yesterday. He has to step down as president, but there can be some other position in which we can use his assistance," a TNCA insider said. "So long as it is not an elected office, he can function in any manner. That is not an issue, which is why he is not particularly perturbed with the judgement," reported cricinfo.